Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake (2024)

The other day my two little grandsons were visiting at my house. When it was time for them to go home, Gavin, the five year old started looking for a blue plane with which he likes to play when he visits. I have toys and books for the boys that are just for use at my house, but the three of us have established a lending policy, too. Both of the boys get to borrow a toy or book until the next time they visit me. When they return the item that they borrowed, they get to take something else home with them. It’s a nice little tradition and helps to teach the boys responsibility while also allowing them to have a special new play item for a while.

Gavin had decided that he wanted to take a blue airplane, but he couldn’t find it. Toys often disappear under or behind furniture around here. Any given toy could be “misplaced” in any given room on any given visit. We find toys everywhere. One night my husband pulled back the covers on his side of the bed and found that there was a line of matchbox cars parked under the covers. His side of the bed also had some dried strawberry milk stains on it, so we knew who the “perpetrator” had been. It was a funny moment and we had to laugh despite the mess.

So, anyway, Gavin couldn’t find the blue airplane. He had looked under the usual furniture for the plane, but it was not there. I told him to go into the living room and look in more unusual places. A few minutes later he came walking into the kitchen with a disgusted, irritated look on his face. “Mom-mom? Here’s one of your pumpkins from last year,” he said as he plopped a small ornamental pumpkin down on the counter top. He continued to look at me as though I was a completely scatterbrained dingbat.

Hmmm. Somehow one of the miniature pumpkins which may or may not have been carried around in a certain toy shopping cart by one of the half pints, may or may not have either been deliberately or accidentally placed under the couch. The really interesting thing is that the pumpkin simply dried out instead of rotting. That’s good news. The amusing thing was how Gavin was blaming me for having been careless with the pumpkin. Seriously? What would I have been doing playing around with a miniature pumpkin?

The plane was never found and when I offered the dried pumpkin as a replacement, I was met with a glare. All of this was from a kid who has been known to keep rollie-pollies in his pockets and hide his dead goldfish behind the plant in the living room. Picky, picky, picky.

I had planned and written a different intro for this post, but what with the discovery of that dessicated pumpkin from under the living room sofa, I am saving the other intro for a different post. Some things are just meant to be.

The recipe for this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake was derived from a previous post, Cinnamon Roll Cake. I made some substitutions and additions and holy smack-a-rolly I found a new path to food heaven. This cake has the stamp of approval from numerous health-care professionals of various national origins and political leanings. The two biggest questions were: 1) Does this have walnuts or pecans, and 2) Did you actually eat some of this yourself?

Regarding the first question, there were bets laid as to which nut I had used and much gloating and glee were had by the winners. (I used pecans.) Regarding the second question, yes I had actually eaten my own cooking, hence the reason for there being only 1 1/2 cakes brought to work instead of a full 2 cakes.

So that there will be no mistakes about the outstanding qualities of this cake, please note that it contains pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, butter, and sugar. As if this was not nigh unto completely sinful enough, I also added pure maple syrup to the glaze. Be sure to genuflect when you read the recipe.

Related Posts:

• Cinnamon Roll Cake
• Pumpkin Granola
• Pumpkin Pie Squares
• Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins